Neon lamp flasher



1931 J. HQTCHNER NEON LAMP FLASHER Filed Nov. 9, 1927 TORNE Y.

ITED STATES l,&l2,340

P D? F ICE JOSEPH; HOTCHNER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA NEON LAMP FLASHER Application filed November 9, 1927. Serial No. 232,095.

This invention relates to the production of a high speed flashing efiect with the so called neon gas tubes.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that many attempts have been made to produce the rapid traveling effects that are ordinarily produced with the high speed flashes, but without success for the reason that it is necessary to provide so much tubing that it becomes very expensive to handle a sign of good size that way. Another objection to producing a flasher efiect with the ordinary neon gas tubes is that they'are so small that they would not give any considerable effect in causing the lateral movement or rotary movement of the lamps ordinarily hooked up to them.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby a given tubewill be extended to a considerable distance, and thereby give the eye the illusion of a more considerable area being effected by the putting on and ofi of the lights, and at the same time to cause the lights to be cut on and off with sufiicient rapidity to be effective in giving the desired traveling efi'ect, as well as to reduce the expense by reducing the number of electrodes necessary for the series of lamps.

Another object of the invention is toprovide an arrangement of the neon gas tubes which will permit the use of a high speed flasher in momentarily cutting off the light from each lamp to produce the desired rapid traveling efi'ect.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which the 40 same reference numeral is applied to the same portion throughout the several figures of the drawings and of which there may be modifications.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a series of neon lamp tubes applied as shown to a flat plate, which forms a portion of the ordinary set of border lights,

Figure 2 is a front view of a portion of a sign showing the light tubes behind the cut out letters,

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of a series of neon tube lamps used in making a circular travel sign, and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of a border made up of neon lamps such as those used in Figure 3.

In the present instance the tubes are arranged in four zig za series, the tubes themselves being lettered B, C and D, and each tube is of the ordinary construction of the neon light tubes, consisting of several inclined long lengths and several more steeply inclined short lengths. The flasher used is the ordinary high speeed flasher which forms no part of the present invention.

The flasher has the shaft 1, the cut-out wheels 2, 3, 4L, 5, and the solid contact wheel 6. The solid contact wheel is connected by a suitable brush supported on a bar 8 to the several wires of the system. The wire 8 connects with all four sets of tubes A to D inclusive, while the wires 9 connect with all the tubes A to D individually and-are also connected to the brushes 7.

When theflasher operates it will discontinue the illumination of the tubes in the order of their lettering, that is, all of the tubes lettered A are out at one time, following this all of the tubes lettered B are out, and the tubes lettered G are out, and finally all of 39 the tubes lettered D.

Now it will be seen that the dark lace will travel with respect to the sign liody crossways of the tubes and as these tubes are either in a border or behind a cut-out letter 35 that they give the illusion of motion to the sign, although no actual motion takes place.

In the diagram shown in Figure 1 only a portion of the sign is illustrated. The several tubes are usually arranged in the order red, green, pink and blue to give the best optical effec In Figure 2 the body is indicated at 1', the sign front at 2 which has the letters cut out from it to show the light from the tubes therethrough and installed behind the letters so that a portion of the illumination from each tube is cut oil from the observer and the several tubes A, B, C, D and E, which tubes are connected up in substantially the same manner with the flasher as shown in Figure 1.

' In Figures 3 and 4 there is shown a slightly difierent form of neon gas lamp for the purpose of giving the traveling border effect, in this case the lamp tubes are more or less are like, as indicated at 10 and '11 with a tube joining them as indicated at 12 which extends radially with respect to the circle around which the series of tubes are placed. A large arc is used and the tubes may be placed on a small circle, or a large circle with-very little change in lay out or even the same tubes may be used on the straight border plate 13 as indicated in Figure 4.

The slight curving of each individual tube does not affect the value of the lamp as a border lamp for the main idea is to produce a lamp with an extended area as well as to reduce the number of electrodes required.

While the connections between the lamp and sign used with the neon gas tube sign are usually called electrodes the term sockets has been used herein for the reason that extended filament lamps might be used in the place of the gas tube lamps, and the term socket is to be considered in the generic sense as a connection for a lamp of any kind.

In the operation of the device the flasher cut out wheels 2, 3, 4 and 5 are of well known construction, and also the constant contact wheel is well known. The view of a flasher in Figure 1 is diagrammatic. Electric current is so supplied to the flasherthat all the tubes are illuminated as the cylinder is revolved the insulated portions of the cut out rings come under the contact strips cutting off the current for a short period depending on the length of the insulated portion.

It is so arranged that these insulated portions follow one another in a sort of spiral path on the cylinder so that one tube is out out and darkened one after another, first lamp A will be cut oil, then lamp B is cut off, and A is flashed on again, then lamp D is cut out and B flashed on, then C is cut out and D flashed, then A is out out, etc. Thus it will be seen that there is a dark tube that travels the length of the sign body and each tube starts at the top and extends in zig zag shape to the bottom of the sign body A diagonal zig zag shadow has the appearance of traveling.

ign bodes having a border of electric lamps in which one lamp is cut out after another causing the'lamps to appear to be traveling around the sign body, is old in the art.

In Figure 2 the tubes shown in Figure 1 are placed back of the sign body, letters are cut out so that the tubes can be seen through the I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the v United States is as follows, but modifications may be made in carrying out the invention as shown in the drawings and in the above particularly described form thereof within the purview of the annexed claims:

1. A lamp for traveling light efiects on I signs comprisin' a sign body, a series of overlapping an parallel zig zag-gas tube lamps with one portion of the gas tube bent at a different angle than the next adjacent portion, means to illuminate said tubes, and means to darken in sequence one after the other of the tubes to produce a travelling shadow eflect, and the illusion of a traveling light across and' lengthwise of said sign body.

2. A lamp for traveling light eflfects for signs comprising a sign body, a series of overlappinggas tube lamps of zig zag shape, and means to extinguish in sequence one lamp at a time of the series successively to produce a traveling shadow effect across and lengthways of said sign body, and means to illuminate said tube lamps.

3. A lamp for travelin light efiects on signs compnsing a sign bo y, a series of overlapping zig zag gas tube lamps with one portion of the gas tube bent at a different angle than the next adjacent portion, and means to extinguish in sequence a lamp successively in the series to produce a traveling efi'ect across and lengthways of the sign body.

4. A traveling e ect sign comprising a' sign body, characters formed therein, a series of gas lamp tubes each having reversely inclined portions behind said characters, and means to illuminate said tubes in sequence successively extinguish and reilluminate the several tubes of the series to produce a travelling shadow eflect transversely and longitudinally of said sign body.

5. A traveling effect sign comprising a sign body and a front with letters cut out therein, a series of gas lamp tubes disposed behind the cut out letters each lamp overlapping and having a series of reversely inclined portions and means to illuminate and extinguish said tubes successively in sequence to produce a travelling shadow efiect over said letters across and lengthways of said sign body.

6. A lamp for travelling light effects, a series of tube lamps the end of each lamp over- 5 lapping the end of the next preceding lamp throughout the series having overlapping ends, and means for illuminating and extinguishing said lamps seriatim to produce a travelling light eifect. 10 In testimony whereof .I have hereunto set my hand this lth da of Nov., A. D. 1927. J O EPH HOTOHNER. 

